8 citations
,
July 2019 in “Endocrine connections” This study found that post-finasteride syndrome patients showed a tissue-specific methylation pattern of the SRD5A2 promoter in cerebrospinal fluid, potentially affecting neuroactive steroid levels and related behavioral symptoms.
10 citations
,
May 2019 in “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” This study found that finasteride treatment in male rats altered steroid hormone homeostasis and caused kidney damage, suggesting potential risks for patients with renal dysfunction on androgen or antiandrogen therapy.
3 citations
,
April 2019 in “Human & Experimental Toxicology” This study found that finasteride caused adverse effects on liver, kidney, and heart tissues in female mice, raising concerns about its potential use in females for treating androgenetic alopecia.
18 citations
,
March 2019 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that finasteride use was not associated with sexual dysfunction in men with androgenetic alopecia, consistent with other large survey-based controlled studies.
19 citations
,
March 2019 in “Behavioural Brain Research” This study found that repeated finasteride administration in male Wistar rats led to increased depression-like behavior, suggesting an animal model for investigating finasteride's neuropsychiatric effects is viable.
23 citations
,
January 2019 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This review found that while finasteride may improve female pattern hair loss and hirsutism in women, more long-term studies are needed to optimize its use and assess potential consequences.
17 citations
,
December 2018 in “The World Journal of Men s Health” This study concluded that administering dutasteride for more than 8 weeks in rats could lead to irreversible erectile dysfunction, even after stopping the medication.
37 citations
,
September 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” This study found that finasteride treatment in male rats led to enduring effects on depressive-like behavior, hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroinflammation, and gut microbiota composition after withdrawal.
35 citations
,
June 2018 in “Urology” This study of FAERS data suggests that finasteride, particularly at the 1 mg dosage, is associated with a wide range of adverse effects not previously established in long-term studies, especially among younger men.
54 citations
,
May 2018 in “International journal of risk & safety in medicine” This study observed enduring sexual dysfunction reported in 300 cases globally following the use of SSRIs, finasteride, and isotretinoin, with common symptoms like genital anaesthesia and loss of libido.
40 citations
,
April 2018 in “Endocrine” This review discusses post-SSRI sexual dysfunction and post-finasteride syndrome, highlighting unknowns about their true incidence and underlying causes, and reports no new clinical results.
4 citations
,
April 2018 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride for female hair loss has low side effects, more research needed.
13 citations
,
February 2018 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This study found that 65.2% of female pattern hair loss patients showed significant hair growth improvement with a daily dosage of 2.5 mg finasteride, with better outcomes in patients with lower initial Ludwig scores and older age at onset.
9 citations
,
January 2018 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study analyzed self-reports from discussion forums to categorize and understand adverse effects experienced by individuals using finasteride, suggesting a need for further investigation into post-finasteride syndrome.
11 citations
,
January 2018 in “Asian Journal of Andrology” Researchers observed that dutasteride and finasteride caused structural changes in the penises of both control and hypertensive rats, with dutasteride having a more pronounced effect on the corpus cavernosum.
13 citations
,
December 2017 in “CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics” In this study, finasteride was found to inhibit the dopaminergic system and reduce open-field behaviors in adolescent male rats by decreasing dopamine levels and related proteins.
7 citations
,
December 2017 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that dutasteride use is associated with increased reports of sexual dysfunction, based on data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System.
58 citations
,
April 2017 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” This study found that patients with post-finasteride syndrome exhibited major depressive disorder, severe erectile dysfunction, and neuropathy, alongside altered neuroactive steroid levels in cerebrospinal fluid.
24 citations
,
March 2017 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study reported a significant increase in the reporting of sexual dysfunction associated with finasteride use, especially in individuals aged 31-45.
8 citations
,
February 2017 in “Clinical Drug Investigation” This paper discusses the adverse effects of finasteride, including sexual dysfunction and depression, and suggests that treatment customization based on individual factors like hand preference and sexual orientation could improve outcomes and reduce these side effects.
14 citations
,
December 2016 in “Sexual Medicine” This study identified differences in adverse symptoms among patients with post-finasteride syndrome based on short and long androgen receptor gene polymorphisms.
24 citations
,
October 2016 in “Oncotarget” This study found that finasteride was associated with more reproductive adverse effects, including sexual dysfunction in men and fetal harm in women, compared to minoxidil in reported alopecia cases.
50 citations
,
September 2016 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found no evidence of androgen deficiency or decreased peripheral androgen action in men with persistent sexual symptoms after finasteride use, but identified links to depressed mood and abnormal brain function.
57 citations
,
July 2016 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study concluded that 5α-reductase inhibitors were linked to increased sexual dysfunction in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, but not in men with androgenetic alopecia.
21 citations
,
May 2016 in “The Cochrane library” This review found that while topical minoxidil is effective for treating female pattern hair loss, finasteride showed no more effectiveness than placebo, and low-level laser therapy increased hair count but with inconsistent results.
21 citations
,
April 2016 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This paper discusses the potential relationship between finasteride's adverse effects and factors like hand preference and sexual orientation, suggesting these could influence risk in male androgenic alopecia treatment, but reports no new clinical results.
6 citations
,
April 2016 in “PubMed” This review found that dutasteride and finasteride are rarely associated with sexual side effects when used off-label for female hair loss, and suggests further study of their efficacy and side effect profile.
32 citations
,
February 2016 in “Journal of Dermatology” This study found that in Japanese male patients with androgenetic alopecia, dutasteride 0.5 mg daily over 52 weeks was associated with improvements in hair growth and appearance, with reported adverse events mostly mild.
31 citations
,
February 2016 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study found that nearly half of men using finasteride reported clinically significant depression, highlighting the need for psychiatric screening and careful risk assessment by prescribing clinicians.
19 citations
,
January 2016 in “Annals of Dermatology” This study found that dutasteride 0.5 mg was generally well-tolerated and led to overall improvement in male patients aged 18 to 41 with androgenic alopecia in a Korean clinical practice setting.
33 citations
,
December 2015 in “Neuroendocrinology” This study found that subchronic finasteride treatment in male rats altered neuroactive steroid levels and steroid receptor expression in the brain, with some changes persisting after drug withdrawal.
11 citations
,
October 2015 in “Dermatology and therapy” This study found that finasteride use for androgenetic alopecia was not associated with increased sexual dysfunction compared to an age-matched control group.
49 citations
,
September 2015 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” This study suggests that the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride modulates sensorimotor gating in rats by affecting D1 and D3 receptors, but not D2 receptors, with varying effects based on genetic strain.
111 citations
,
August 2015 in “Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders” 5α-reductase inhibitors may cause persistent sexual dysfunction and depression, needing more research on long-term effects.
44 citations
,
April 2015 in “PubMed” This study reports that clinical trials of finasteride for androgenic alopecia provide insufficient and systematically biased safety data, with most participants unrepresentative of those in pivotal trials that led to FDA approval.
16 citations
,
September 2014 in “International Journal of Biological Markers” This study found that the less common CAG-rs4045402 and GGN-rs3138869 polymorphisms were more frequent in patients with post-finasteride syndrome and androgenetic alopecia, suggesting a genetic predisposition to AGA development.
36 citations
,
June 2014 in “PLOS ONE” This study found that men with persistent sexual side effects after using finasteride for androgenetic alopecia had higher androgen receptor expression in certain tissues compared to those who never used the drug.
81 citations
,
June 2014 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study highlights that adverse effects from finasteride may persist in men after discontinuation, indicating a potential "post-finasteride syndrome.
151 citations
,
May 2014 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This review concluded that oral finasteride for men and topical minoxidil for both genders have the most evidence supporting their effectiveness and safety for treating androgenetic alopecia.
61 citations
,
April 2014 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” This study reports that men with androgenic alopecia experience altered neuroactive steroid levels associated with persistent depression symptoms even after stopping finasteride treatment.
32 citations
,
January 2014 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” This study found that both finasteride and dutasteride effectively increased hair thickness in women with androgenetic alopecia over three years, with dutasteride performing better in women under 50 at specific scalp sites.
2152 citations
,
November 2013 in “Urologia Internationalis” This study reviews the significant prevalence of organic etiologies, especially vascular causes, in erectile dysfunction among men under 40 and emphasizes thorough evaluation and consideration of treatment options like exercise and PDE-5 inhibitors.
73 citations
,
July 2013 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study observed that androgenic alopecia patients taking finasteride had altered neuroactive steroid levels and persistent depression symptoms even after stopping the treatment.
27 citations
,
June 2013 in “Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research” In this study, 65% of men with persistent sexual side effects after stopping finasteride reported a reduction in alcohol consumption, echoing findings in rodent models.
44 citations
,
January 2013 in “International Journal of Trichology” This study found that 5 mg/day oral finasteride was effective and safe for improving hair outcomes in normoandrogenic postmenopausal women with androgenetic alopecia over 18 months.
19 citations
,
November 2012 in “BJUI” In this study, researchers observed that the sexual effects of dihydrotestosterone deprivation using finasteride may vary by handedness, with right-handed men often experiencing lower sexual function and left-handed men showing no effect or improvement.
134 citations
,
August 2012 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” This study found that former finasteride users with persistent sexual side effects reported significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts compared to controls.
112 citations
,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, 96% of men with persistent sexual side effects from finasteride reported continued dysfunction after discontinuation, suggesting these effects may endure long-term.
35 citations
,
May 2012 in “Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews” This review found evidence supporting the effectiveness and safety of topical minoxidil for treating female pattern hair loss, though many included studies were at high risk of bias.
25 citations
,
February 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, oral finasteride treatment for four weeks reduced the weight of the corpus cavernosum in rats but did not significantly affect erectile function.
10 citations
,
January 2012 in “Annals of Dermatology” In this study, 1.25 mg daily finasteride for 28 weeks showed minimal increase in hair density and thickness in normoandrogenic female pattern hair loss, but no significant clinical improvement was observed.
53 citations
,
October 2011 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride may help improve certain brain function issues linked to dopamine.
185 citations
,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study found that 94% of healthy men reported low libido and 92% reported erectile dysfunction as persistent sexual side effects after using finasteride for male pattern hair loss, with these effects lasting on average 40 months post-discontinuation.
22 citations
,
December 2010 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” The authors concluded that finasteride treatment inhibits hippocampal neurogenesis in mice, potentially impacting emotional behaviors and contributing to the pathophysiology of affective disorders.
64 citations
,
June 2010 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study suggests that 5 mg/day oral finasteride may increase hair density and thickness in normoandrogenic Asian women with female pattern hair loss over 12 months.
32 citations
,
May 2010 in “Pharmacopsychiatry” This article investigates whether finasteride influences adult hippocampal neurogenesis related to depression and reports no new clinical findings; the authors suggest further research on its neurosteroid inhibition.
24 citations
,
January 2010 in “Endocrine Regulations” In this study, men taking 1 mg/day of finasteride for 12 months showed minor metabolic changes and slight improvements in glucose metabolism.
81 citations
,
March 2009 in “Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery” This review discusses the classifications, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies for female pattern hair loss, but reports no clinical results.
225 citations
,
July 2007 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, patients informed about finasteride's potential sexual side effects reported a significantly higher occurrence of these side effects, suggesting a nocebo effect.
137 citations
,
March 2006 in “Cns Drug Reviews” This review explores finasteride's effects on neuroactive steroid levels and their potential influence on disorders like depression and alcohol withdrawal but reports no new clinical findings.
44 citations
,
July 2004 in “Archives of Dermatology” In this study, treatment with 1 mg of finasteride was associated with stable sexual function, suggesting that sexual side effects may be less common than indicated in clinical trials.
408 citations
,
May 2004 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” This study found that dutasteride more effectively reduced serum dihydrotestosterone levels than finasteride in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
6 citations
,
January 2004 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” 
92 citations
,
October 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study reports that oral finasteride improved or stabilized hair loss in women with hyperandrogenism but not in postmenopausal women with female pattern hair loss.
51 citations
,
October 2002 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride increases hair density in female androgenetic alopecia, but individual results may vary.
36 citations
,
September 2001 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that sexual and erectile function in men taking finasteride 1 mg did not significantly differ from age-matched controls, suggesting sexual side effects may be less common than previously reported.
239 citations
,
November 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, finasteride 1 mg/day for 12 months did not improve hair growth or slow hair thinning in postmenopausal women with androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo.
581 citations
,
October 1998 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In male pattern hair loss, this study found that finasteride 1 mg daily significantly slowed hair loss and increased hair growth over two years compared to placebo.
